Why have artists and photographers been camping with farmers at Tikri Border for the two months they've been agitating against the farm laws? A group of 14 creative minds say this is their opportunity to both, help and .
On December 20, 2020, when farmer unions observed Homage Day or Shaheed Divas for the fallen protesters, a farmer carried a photograph of his son, who died in a road accident while on his way to the Tikri Border. Pic/Varinder Maddoke
Bonfires are a ritual of the harvest festival of Lohri, widely celebrated with pomp and fervour in the northern states of the country. But when this writer rang Randeep Maddoke on January 13, there seemed no sign of celebrations. "They [protesters] just finished burning copies of the farm laws. It has been a long, busy day. Slogans were shouted against the Centre and the administration criticised for not acceding to their demand of repealing the laws. I've never seen Lohri celebrated like this before. The farmers are determined to change their destiny, and there is no turning back. But they are also mourning fallen protesters, young and old," says Maddoke, a concept photographer and documentary filmmaker, who is holding his ground on Tikri Border for the last two months.
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Tens of thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, have been protesting at key entry points to the national capital for over 40 days against the laws, surviving temperatures as low as three degrees Celsius. Over 50 farmers have died, either owing to the cold or accidents, creating global headlines.
The farmers are against three reforms—Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, alleging that these are in the interest of corporates and not agriculturists.
Maddoke was summoned to Delhi on the first day of the protest march [November 26, 2020] by Joginder Singh Ugrahan, president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan). He wanted Maddoke to gather a team of photographers, filmmakers, painters, and multimedia artists to document the dissent. "I realised that Indian society is characterised by a sharp divide, early on. I was a teenager when I learned that only the rich get richer. I had to borrow R12,000 from a teacher to pay tuition fees so I could take admission in Chandigarh's Government College of Art. I have been documenting the pain of the marginalised sections in my works. So when I was asked to cover the historic protests against farm laws, I was game," adds 44-year-old Maddoke, who took almost a decade to create Landless, a 2019 film on Punjab's Dalit farmers.
On Human Rights Day observed on December 10, 2020, protesting farmers demanded the release of political prisoners
Born in the village Maddoke in Moga, he is the first Indian to be invited to the prestigious Market Institute of Photography in Johannesburg, on a full scholarship. "I hail from a landless family; I have nothing to lose with the three agricultural acts of 2020. But I want to help those who do. They don't deserve to be treated like this." The group he has gathered is called Farmers' Photographers, and they hope to record every story that unfolds on the border.
Among the moving images he has managed to capture is from the Human Rights Day rally on December 10, 2020. Maddoke and his team of 14 volunteers are spread across Tikri Border, each capturing different subjects. They plan to hold exhibitions, publish books and release a documentary on the farmers' agitation once the protests are over. "But until we are here, we are one of them. We ensure every protester eats and sleeps well and is healthy. Our makeshift camps are our home now, till the government decides to listen to us."
Randeep Maddoke
Tarsem Rahi, 53
When this writer speaks to Tarsem about his childhood, he can't recollect when he was born. What he does know is that he started painting when he was 15. Today, he has a gallery in Punjab's Malout town, where he wishes to display his works from the protests. "Due to my ill health, I couldn't participate actively in the protests. But on Lohri day, I decided to drive here. I wanted to capture every emotion, every feeling. And that is what I have done with the first work—a young boy carrying a flag of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Indian Farmers' Union), as members of the older generation look on."
A painting by Tarsem Rahi of a young boy holding the flag of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Indian Farmers' Union)
Nav Rahi, 23
Nav has been walking with the farmers from Punjab. Born in Malout town in Muktsar district, Rahi keeps his lens directed on female protesters only. "I have been watching them from the start. In some places, you will see very few or no women, but in some others, they are the ones helming the fort. They are quite incredible and powerful, which is why they are my subject."
Women cook meals on temporary chullhas set up on the border. Pic/Nav Rahi
An arts graduate, Rahi, who has shot documentary projects on labourers, thinks that the presence of women in these protests has added more value to the movement. "They cook meals for everyone. They are on the forefront, talking to the authorities. The oldest female protester is almost 100. They are so fierce. One of the best frames I've got is of them cooking a simple meal, over conversations about politics. I want the country to see them through my lens."
Varinder Maddoke, 26
A fine arts student, Maddoke has been documenting the issue of landless farmers for over eight years. The photographer started covering these protests much before they reached Delhi. "Since September last year, there has been outcry in Punjab over the Centre's farm laws. I decided to follow them to Tikri in solidarity. We have been recording their stories of discontent, and it is truly heartbreaking to see them in this condition."
Over a dozen loudspeakers installed on a truck point towards the Delhi border. Pic/Varinder Maddoke
His favourite frame is a recent one, where a young man is seen surrounded by over a dozen loudspeakers installed on the roof of a truck. "The vehicle is stationed in the perfect spot, demarcating the Delhi border. The speakers are directed towards the Ministry sitting in Delhi. It felt like our voices, now loud enough, were finally reaching the government. We can hope for a better future."
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